This Thai chicken salad with peanut dressing is quick, easy, and fresh. A great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken! Ready in about 20 minutes.
This post was originally published on June 16, 2017. I've updated the recipe, photos, and write-up to make it better.
Tender chicken, crunchy cabbage (I used a pre-bagged coleslaw mix), a moreish peanut-lime-ginger dressing, red bell peppers, scallions, and chopped peanuts make for one tasty and flavor-packed salad! This salad is super simple to make, and it's sure to be a hit with the whole family.
This is quite a large salad. I'd say it serves four as an entree, but you could easily feed up to six people depending on how much they eat/if you serve it with something else.
Love cabbage-based salads? Try my Simple Creamy Coleslaw Recipe.
Recipe notes & tips:
- If you don't want to buy pre-bagged coleslaw mix, you can cut up/shred your own cabbage and carrots.
- Cucumber would be a great addition to this salad! I was going to add it but totally forgot (I'd cut it up quite small).
- Want to make this a spicy Thai chicken salad? Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes, cut-up fresh Thai chilis, or some sriracha sauce to the dressing.
- Substitutions: Feel free to swap the scallions with red onions. You can also use a clove of minced garlic instead of the garlic powder if you prefer.
- I use one of my favorite kitchen tools to grate the ginger (it's so much easier to grate when it's frozen!), my Microplane zester/grater.
- Leftovers: This is the type of salad that you can still eat in a day or two (my husband was fine with the leftovers), but I did have one reader mention that the leftovers aren't as good as on day 1 (it became a bit watery/soggy), so you could certainly halve all the ingredients if you don't want any leftovers. Or, make the same amount of dressing and only add half (add the second half when ready to serve batch 2).
More Thai-inspired recipes to try:
If you love Thai food as much as I do, I hope you'll give this easy Thai chicken salad a try!
Questions? Leave me a comment below! As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 pound coleslaw mix
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1/4 cup scallions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- Small handful fresh cilantro chopped (optional but recommended)
- Small handful fresh basil sliced thin or torn (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon pure sesame oil see note
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 tablespoons water or more as needed
Instructions
- Add the dressing ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust (e.g. add more lime juice or honey). If your dressing comes out really thick (peanut butter brands can vary), add even more water than suggested.
- Prep all the salad ingredients and them add to a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- You don't need to add the cilantro or basil, but they definitely add extra flavor and freshness.
- Helpful hint: It's much easier to grate ginger when it's frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in my freezer for when I need it. It also helps reduce waste (I always seem to waste fresh ginger when I don't use it in time!).
- I use the sesame oil found in the Asian section of the grocery store. It's got quite a strong/nutty flavor. It's darker in color and sometimes you'll find it labeled as toasted sesame oil. I just buy whichever brand is in stock.
- Serves 4-6. You may want to halve it if you don't want leftovers.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Shanna says
Loved this! Hubby and I are doing WW and we are always looking for something quick, easy and low points. We didn’t add the peanuts because we didn’t have any, but we followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Very delicious. I even added a few dashes of Sriracha to the sauce. We will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it was a hit, Shanna! Thanks for your review! 🙂
June says
Can you use natural peanut butter with this? It is a bit thicker and has no sugar. Should I add a bit more sugar than called for?
Natasha says
Hi June! You could, but you may need to tweak it a bit as you say. It's not as smooth of a consistency, and you may need to add more water as well.
Katie C says
Thanks so much for another AMAZING recipe, Natasha!
I made this as a quick side instead of a full entree, so I skipped the chicken this time around and added some shelled edamame and chopped avocado that I had in the fridge/freezer! I also added some sriracha and red pepper flakes as you suggested for a bit of kick, and swapped the cole slaw mix with broccoli slaw mix. But it was FABULOUS!! I loved all of the different flavors and textures coming together. Definitely a new go-to in our house!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! 🙂
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Katie!! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Sharon Barber says
This recipe sounds delicious!!! Some questions: 1) do you peel your fresh ginger before you freeze it?
2) is it possible to substitute Stevia for the honey since I am diabetic?
3) do use use roasted unsalted peanuts?
4) can you use crushed red chili’s
Thank you again for this amazing recipe!!!
Natasha says
Hi Sharon! I don't peel it. The peel protects it in the freezer. I just grate a bit of the peel off (like into the garbage) when I'm ready to use it, and then continue grating from there. Re: the Stevia, if you're comfortable making the sub (like you've done it in cooking before), you could try, but it's not something I've ever done in a salad dressing. I believe the peanuts were roasted and unsalted, yes. Sure, crushed red chilis would be fine. Hope you like the recipe! 🙂
Logan says
Did you end up using stevia? I was thinking about subbing swerve.
Kim Williams says
What is the serving size for the 251 cals? A cup, two cups?
Natasha says
Hi Kim! It's 1/6 of the recipe. I am not a trained nutritionist (or good at math, for that matter lol), so I only include the nutrition info that the recipe card automatically calculates, with a heavy disclaimer that it's just an estimate, ingredients vary, etc. So, I am not sure what that works out to in cups, oz, or grams - sorry! If you are relying on the nutrition info for health reasons, for the most accurate results, you would weigh the ingredients using a kitchen scale and base it on the exact brands of ingredients you're using.
Leslie says
The salad was quite good, but only after I adjusted the dressing significantly. When I started as shown it tasted like I was just pouring peanut butter over my salad. Had to increase everything else significantly to get the blend of flavors. Next time I will start with 2 Tb of peanut butter and the remaining ingredients until you get a good balance of flavors.
Carol Zippo says
Followed the recipe as is with one exception - left out the cilantro because of a very strong dislike that would actually make the dish inedible for me.
It was still delicious !
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! Yes, some people are born with the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap... can't say I blame you for leaving it out haha.
Amanda G says
This was fantastic and such a great change of pace!
I added a little water to thin out the dressing. I also added dried Chinese red peppers for heat and some seasoned rice vinegar to brighten it all up at the end. I halved the salad to take leftovers to lunch!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Amanda!! 🙂
Michele says
Can this recipe be adapted to use a powdered peanut butter such as PB2?
Natasha says
Hello! I don't know... I have never tried powdered peanut butter before. I mean, I don't see why not... you could certainly experiment. Let me know!
Giselle says
How long does the peanut dressing last in the fridge? I loved the salad. It’s so refreshing on a hot day
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! I would say max one week, but that's just a guess... I try to use up homemade dressings within 3-5 days usually.
Elle says
This is a family favorite!
Natasha says
Thank you!! So pleased to hear that! 😀
Beth Johnston says
This salad is delicious! I also added crispy wontons which gave it even more crunch! My husband is picky and he had seconds so that makes it a win at our table! It is very similar to North Star's Citrus Crunch salad but made in my own kitchen! Definitely add the basil and the cilantro to the salad mixture, and add a little extra honey, lime, and water in the dressing! I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thank you so much!
Natasha says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Lynda Appel says
Made this last night for dinner and looking forward to heading home to have some more for lunch! Very tasty, will add it to my rotation. Super fast! I used crunchy peanut butter, because that is what I have, and it worked perfectly. Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks for commenting, Lynda!
Susan Murphy says
I made this salad last night and found the dressing too thick. I added more lime and another 3T of water and still too thick with the salad. Might need 9 T water? Or is there another reason it's thick? What brand PB do you use?
Natasha says
Hi! I use Kraft creamy peanut butter (I think it may only be available in Canada). You’re the second person to encounter this issue, so I’m going to put a note in the recipe that more water may be required. The dressing is neither thin nor thick for me. It definitely shouldn’t be as thick as you’re describing, though.
AD says
I made this recently and it was absolutely fantastic! My entire family devoured it. Quick, easy and so, so, GOOD!
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thanks for commenting! 😀
Monica Van Rickley says
Yummy salad. Followed directions exactly. I may have mis-measured, but I feel the dressing came out to thick. I could turn the bowl upside down and it would’ve stuck to the bowl. I wasn’t sure what the consistency was supposed to be, so kept forward with the recipe.
It’s taste was too creamy. Fixed easily enough by adding a touch more of all dressing ingredients less the peanut butter.
I am one of those against cilantro so I used parsley instead. Fresh and delicious 😋
Natasha says
I'm glad you liked it, Monica! Hmmm... the dressing definitely was not that thick for me. Did you add the 3 tablespoons of water? It's possible that you used a different brand of peanut butter that's much thicker, but I am perplexed as to why the dressing was so thick unless you missed something out. Glad you were able to taste and adjust, though!
Emily says
Incredibly delicious and easy to make! Will definitely be making this again.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thanks for commenting, Emily! So pleased you liked it. XO
melissa says
made this the other night and it was excellent. i could not find a thai chili pepper so i used a serrano but it seemed to work just fine. great recipe!
Natasha says
Yay!! So happy you liked it.
Cindy says
This looks delicious. This salad caught my eye, and I love the brown sugar in the dressing. Looks perfect for summer. I think you are right, we should not be slaving away in our kitchens. It is darn hot her in Southern California.
Natasha says
Thanks, Cindy! Yeah, lots of places are currently experiencing some extreme heat. 💛
Irina C says
I usually absolutely love your recipes, but this salad… not sure.., as many mentioned before the dressing was very thick , I used Skippy , I added probably 3 times more water, the dressing made the salad very soggy and I even didn’t use all of it… Something missing, maybe small mandarin peaces?
Natasha says
Hmm... I'm sorry to hear you didn't like it! 🙁 I am baffled about the PB thing... like as you can see from the photos, my dressing wasn't too thick at all. Maybe the kind I use (Kraft Creamy Peanut Butter - the most popular variety here in Canada) is somehow different than the usual creamy PB in the USA?
Natasha's Sister says
Can you make this without chicken for me?
Natasha says
No.